STALLION In short: You can sell to a local kabadiwala, to a doorstep collection service like ours, or hand dry waste to a ward-level NGO programme such as Waste Warriors'. Whoever you pick, ask how they weigh or count, what rate they pay and when you get paid.
A note before we start
We run one of the options below, so read this with that in mind. We have tried to describe the others fairly.
The local kabadiwala
Kabadiwalas are the backbone of recycling in India. The Centre for Science and Environment wrote in 2021 that the informal sector reportedly recycles 50 to 80% of all plastic made in India and nearly all glass bottles. Kabadiwalas buy from households and waste pickers and sell to larger dealers.
A kabadiwala is close and the sale is quick. The rate and the scale are the things to check, because you are trusting both.
An NGO ward programme
Waste Warriors is a Dehradun NGO. It describes its programme as employing locally trained green workers and teams of organised waste pickers who collect dry waste daily. UN-Habitat's best-practice page on its Model Ward programme says the recyclables go through the city's material recovery facility, which the team operates.
The programme is about segregation and livelihoods in the wards it covers. Check whether your ward is one of them.
A doorstep collection service
That is us. We collect aluminium cans and PET bottles from homes and businesses across Dehradun. We count cans at your door and pay ₹1.5 per can. We weigh PET at your door and pay ₹18 per kg. You book in the app or on WhatsApp and tell us roughly how much you have.
Five questions for any buyer
- Do you count or weigh? If you weigh, on whose scale, and before or after the bag?
- What is today's rate, and will you tell me before you come?
- When do I get paid, on the spot or later?
- Do you take both cans and bottles, or only one?
- Do you collect from my door, or do I bring it?
Why it matters here
Dehradun's municipal commissioner said in July 2026 that the city generates about 572 tonnes of waste a day, sometimes as much as 645 tonnes. Every can and bottle that gets sold rather than binned is a little less of that.
Whichever buyer you choose, rinse your cans and bottles, keep them dry and keep them apart from food waste. It raises what they are worth to anyone.
Common questions
Where can I sell used aluminium cans in Dehradun?
You can sell to a scrap dealer or kabadiwala, or to a doorstep service. The Stallion Metallist collects used aluminium cans across Dehradun and pays ₹1.5 per can on collection.
Is there a deposit refund scheme for bottles in Dehradun?
Uttarakhand has run a digital deposit refund system on pilot routes, starting on the Kedarnath trek in 2022 with a ₹10 deposit. We did not find one operating in Dehradun city.
What do you pay for PET bottles in Dehradun?
We pay ₹18 per kg, weighed at your door, last updated 26 October 2026. Other buyers set their own rates, so ask before you sell.
Do scrap dealers buy aluminium cans?
Yes, scrap dealers buy aluminium scrap, including cans. Ask how they weigh and what they pay per kilo.
Sources
- Centre for Science and Environment: Integration of informal sector in solid waste management (2021)
- Construction World: Dehradun Commissioner urges faster legacy waste clearance (2 Jul 2026)
- UN-Habitat: Spearheading community-driven waste management in Dehradun
- Give.do: Waste Warriors Society
- Recykal: Sabka Sath Swachh Kedarnath through Deposit Refund System
Next steps
Got cans? Get paid.
Free doorstep pickup across Dehradun. Paid on collection.